Mandeville New Retail and Residential Project at Sucette Harbor

 A new retail and residential project will be proposed before the Mandeville City Council. The age-restricted community will be located on 15 acres on Mandeville’s lakefront at the location of Sucette Harbor.

There will be a meeting at City Hall where the council and residents can weigh in on the project. In fact, they are moving the voting event to a larger venue due to the size of the crowds. There will be many who will want to share their opinions about the project.

“We don’t want to wait forever on this, but there’s no reason to rush into a decision either,” says Chairman Rick Danielson.

The Mandeville Planning and Zoning Commission has already approved the project which will be around $150 million. It went through with a 4-3 vote so it was recommended to the City Council.

The LSU Health Foundation owns the land which is leased by the Sucette Harbor developer Woodward Interest. The land was originally dedicated to the foundation by Al Copeland’s family and Woodward Interests will use 60% of the lease money for cancer research and scholarships.

Many are against the luxury retirement community which will have 201 apartments for 55 and older, an 82-room boutique hotel, restaurants, an event center and a marina. Those that are opposed feel that the development will cause more traffic and congestion for the community. Mandeville is known for the beautiful oak trees which many on the land will have to be removed.

The council will take the votes and just move the project along for further discussion before a definite decision is made. “This has nothing to do with whether we (the council) want the project, do not want the project, like certain aspects or don’t like certain aspects,” Danielson told audience members.

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Sucette Harbor Comes to Mandeville Lakefront

 The LSU Health Foundation wants to build an age-restricted community along the Mandeville Lakefront. Sucette Harbor would be located on land that was donated by Al Copeland’s family. Many residents are not thrilled about the proposed development because they feel it will create traffic problems.

Although the development is planned to be for tenants 55 and over, it has to be 80% filled with tenants that are 55 and older in order for the age restriction to be enforced. Many Mandeville leaders and residents are afraid they will not be able to draw in that many tenants that are 55 and older. If this happens, then the development will go back to a regular multi-family complex.

Woodward Interest, the developer that will be leasing the land from LSU Health Foundation, believes that traffic will not be an issue. If the development did lose its age restriction, and younger people were to live in the complex, Mandeville’s land use regulations will still hold for the traffic standards.

The chair of the planning commission, Brian Rhinehart, still feels this could be a problem because older tenants are expected to have fewer vehicles but they still might not draw enough older tenants. Rhinehart wants Woodward Interest to do a study showing traffic that would be generated by a non-age-restricted multi-family complex.

“There’s always a level of mistrust when the developer hires a consultant. Citizens need that to have confidence that this isn’t a big snow job,” says Kevin Vogeltanz.

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